By Sharon Chimenya
TWO contract workers died during the weekend at Masvingo’s lithium Sinomine Resource Group-owned Bikita Minerals in two separate work-related incidents.
In a statement released today (June 8), the mining company confirmed that both incidents involved employees of independent contracting companies operating at Bikita Minerals.
The first incident on Saturday involved a dump truck operator which resulted in the death of Thomas Kaliveni (40). The second incident was of a security guard who was found dead in the early Sunday morning.
The statement said the fatal accident involving Kaliveni, a dump truck operator employed by independent WGB Kinsey & Company, happened on June 6. Kaliveni sustained injuries in an incident at a waste dump site and subsequently succumbed to those injuries. Investigations into the exact circumstances of the accident are ongoing.
In an unrelated incident, Bikita Minerals was informed of the death of a security guard employed by Rebnek Security, an independent security services provider early on Sunday morning. A supervisor conducting routine inspections found the employee unresponsive while on duty.
The company said the safety, health, and well-being of everyone working at their operations remain a core priority.
Meanwhile, the mining sector recorded 64 fatalities in artisanal and small-scale mining from January to March this year—a six percent increase compared to the same period last year.
